Peter Orr

He was recently named one of Time magazine's 100 most important people. People have gathered by the hundreds of thousands to hear him speak. His books have been on the New York Times Best Seller list for extended periods of time.

His name is Tenzin Gyatso and he is believed to be the thirteenth reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. We can learn a lot from him.

Both Christianity and Buddhism teach compassion. Jesus said to love your enemies; the Buddha said to work to free all living things of suffering. Christians, in general, are very compassionate: they do mission work around the world, helping fight against poverty and disease, but Buddhist are compassionate in a very different way.

In "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life," the Dalai Lama explains the philosophy of being passionate at all times. He asks people to take the time to think before they do things and to practice focused meditation so as not to harm other beings. Thus we find monks who walk barefoot along mountain paths, taking care not to step on any innocent ants working diligently.

The difference here is attitude. I believe one thing Christians can learn from the Dalai Lama's teachings is how to be compassionate not just in our outward actions, but in our everyday lives.

I believe the need for this is shown in many ways. For example, as mentioned, Christianity emphasizes an outward focus -- we try to reach people and share the Gospel with them. Buddhism, on the other hand, emphasizes the individual's inward state. As a result, in today's society Christianity is often perceived as offensive because of it's teachings that it is the only way to salvation. This belief can be viewed as prideful, and often alienates, intimidates and frightens people. Buddhism, on the other hand, does not teach forceful proselytizing, but is open and accepting of other faiths, and leaves room for the individual to have control.

This attitude is very appealing in our post-modern world, filled with streams of people walking through streets and sitting in coffee shops, listening to iPods or talking on cell phones, always focused on their own issues. We are so individualistic; interaction in public places has become almost nonexistent.

The idea of tolerance is also enticing. It has become common for a person to say "you believe what you want to and do what you want" and mean it. Elements of Eastern religions have infiltrated and become an integral part of our society. Entire social groups center on a fascination with Eastern mysticism. Take, for example, the surplus of Buddhist prayer flags here in Seattle.

There is even this sort of double standard in the political realm, vividly displayed in one area of Canadian politics. After a visit by the Dalai Lama, politicians were inspired to base moral issues on "spiritual grounds" and received support. However, when Christians try to do the same thing, in Canada, the United States or Europe, they are ostracized (www.christianity.ca/faith/christian-living/2004/05.000.html).

The fact that our society is looking to the East for spiritual guidance and role models hints at the depravity of Christian faith in the West.

Take another example. A Christian clergyman is often stereotyped as exhausted, worn out, and --most of all -- burned out, constantly bickering about controversial issues. Christian ministers in urban areas have the highest burnout rate of any profession in the world. Why is this?

Have we forgotten that it was Christ who said not to worry about tomorrow? Have we forgotten that God commanded us to honor the Sabbath? Do we ignore the virtue of patience?

In our busy lives, the thought of taking a significant portion of our time for secluded meditation may seem like a hindrance to ministry. We could be using that time helping others, not ourselves. John Wesley and Martin Luther understood the importance of time alone with God; both were known for rising as early as 4 a.m. to study the Scriptures and pray before their day really started.

The benefits of introspective mediation are numerous. It relieves stress. It clears the mind and helps memory. It revives and rejuvenates workers. Focusing on compassionate attitudes helps Christians to be more mindful and aware of their actions, and to be more acceptable and less offensive to others. I think we can learn from both practices.

I'm not saying we should abandon Christianity in a frantic search for answers from Buddhism or anywhere else; His Holiness himself said "I always say it is better to follow one's own traditional religion, as by changing religion you may eventually find emotional or intellectual difficulties."

Rather, I firmly believe that it's good to have open minds and to be willing to learn from other faith traditions.